Friday, December 28, 2012

This week we had a Blizzard and I had fun trying to come up with some fun activities to keep the kids busy on our FIRST Snow Day of the year. Connor and I tried to go outside but only lasted maybe (MAYBE) 10 minutes - until he managed to get himself stuck in waist deep snow and I had to drag him out. It was seriously cold out too.

So, I drug out our lapbooks which are filled with pages from various SchoolZone Workbooks for preschoolers. Each page is in a page protector and the kids can do them over and over again - and I can switch them from one child's books to the next as they are ready for them. I also drug out a NEW workbook from the Little Busy Books series for Connor:

This line of mini workbooks has FUN activities for kids age 4-6. They are the perfect size to throw in your purse or even in your church bag to help little ones be quiet when they need to be.

There are currently 11 books including dot-to-dots, hidden pictures, mazes, math introduction, coloring and for older kids there are several others like word searches, easy crosswords, math & reading and one on multiplication facts. This particular series is about the size of a 1/2 sheet of typing paper and once they master this skill then you can go onto the actual workbooks that are full size (these are for kids about 5 to 7'ish probably).

I waited a couple days after Christmas to bring out the Little Busy Book: My First Hidden Pictures and gave it to Connor. He loves to sit down and learns very quickly so I knew it would be a good fit for him. There are 48 puzzles (front and back) with 6 items they have to find in each picture. Then he colors the page when he's done. While he's doing this fun activity he's learning problem-solving skills, eye-hand coordination, fine motor skills and recognizing shapes and details. As I suspected he loved it and actually sat for quite a while working on it. I think he managed about 4 pages before he was ready to do something else (tinkertoys anyone?).

The Little Busy Book series is part of School Zone's Golden Scholar Club where you receive a FREE gift with each book in this series. Inside your book, game or flashcards there is a special code. When you get home go to: http://schoolzone.com/club and type in that code. You will then get a special gift by email to download.

The
best part? These books & all their thinner individual books like Scissor Skills, Mazes, Hidden Pictures: Alphabet, Discovery, Nursery Rhymes Dot-to-Dots, etc are only $2.99 so don't feel like you need to be
frugal when purchasing them! If your kid REALLY loves these you can purchase the BIG Books which run about $12.99.

I also found several of their individual workbooks that I just mentioned at Walgreens for 2/$5
& Walmart also carries this line although they seem to be a bit
more expensive there (you just have a lot more to choose from @ the
bigger Walmarts & they have the Little Busy Book line). You can also purchase from the entire line at
SchoolZone.com - they have everything from affordable software, the BIG
curriculum workbooks, ebooks, games and more.

Disclaimer: I was offered a copy of the Hidden Pictures book to use and review on CCB. I was not required to have a positive review and no $ changed hands.

Monday, December 24, 2012

As a Christmas gift from me to you I'd like to share my favorite Christmas Tune with all of you. When you have a moment, quiet your mind, turn this song up on your computer, dim the lights and close your eye.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

I can't think of a better way to encourage little girls to read then by giving them a doll with a story of her own. Stay tuned to Classic Children's Books in January when we will be reviewing some of the wonderful American Girl Stories ~ and end with a fantastic giveaway! Are you excited? Here are the details if you'd like to participate in the giveaway as a blogger ~ if not, put the date on your calendar to enter! (note: these books are not included in the OPP - but I'll try to get some for a giveaway - how's that sound?)

~ Tina 'the book lady'

Blogger Opportunity -1/20 to 2/19

Come and be part of this awesome giveaway!

I love this giveaway, my daughter has 3 American Girl dolls and she loves them. Even now that she is older she keeps them as collectible items.That's why I thought this would be a great giveaway

One American Girl Doll with the box.Winner gets to choose which doll they want.Value $105

Winner will need to choose their prizes from the American Girl Doll, this way I will be sure to pick one that is on stock for delivery, if it is sold out I will try to get what ever they choose directly from the American Girl Store here in NY (I love that Store)

Any payments made for hosting, page hosting, links, etc. Will be used for shipping charges and for futures giveaways.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Hi everyone -Thanks for stopping by CCB (or Classic Children's Books) today. I am having to restart my Linky Followers tool as the account for it has disappeared in the great Blog Unknown. I could of sworn I had both blogs on the same account but nothing is showing up for this blog..... so, I have a huge favor!Before I delete the linky on my sidebar would you PrettyPleaseWithSugarOnTop please follow me on this one:

If you would like more followers on your blog please link up below - let's play a game of Leap Frog!

Thursday, December 13, 2012

One of the neatest activities I've found for my daycare/preschool kids is the idea of using imaginative play or sensory bins during our FREE time. Yes, it's still guided but it opens the kids up to using their imagination and I love that kids can explore different environments and concepts that we have read about when reading stories. It's storytelling visually and cognitively. Love it!
Today we are going to talk a little about Winter Imaginative Play and a few books you can use to teach about animal habitats, texture and even a little sequencing if your careful. =D

Today our theme is Winter Animals & their habitat. I have 2 books to suggest and an example of an Imagination Play Station for you and your kids. I thought I'd start with one of my favorite authors for kids: Jan Brett.

About the book:Set in a snowy forest, the fun begins when, one by one, animals crawl
into Nicki’s lost white mitten to get warm until the bear sneezes,
sending the animals flying up and out of the mitten. On each turn of the
page, Jan hints at what animal is coming next in her signature borders,
inspired by Ukrainian folk art.

My thoughts:I love this story and the illustrations draw you right into the story so it feels real to the kids. You can picture the activity in the story and watching the mitten as each animal crawls in is pretty funny. The end result is hilarious! It's sure to become a favorite in your home. When you look at the illustrations the scenes are very lifelike and each page has a border with cut outs showing small scenes of what is coming up next. Click here (if you can't see the page click on the "see inside the book" and then I clicked on "surprise me" and it took me right to one of the pages). This book is a great addition to your library and helps the kids with pre-reading skills such as prediction, comprehension and there is also some suspense and it keeps the kids involved in the story.

Expand your imagination station with a pair of mittens and some of the little animals. Children can retell the story in their own words and stuff the mittens with the animals.

About the book:Do
you ever wonder how animals stay warm in the winter? Well, they wonder
how humans do too! In a twist of perspective, wild creatures question if
humans use the same winter adaptation strategies that they do. Do they
cuddle together in a tree or fly south to Mexico? Take a look through an
animal’s eyes and discover the interesting ways animals cope with the
cold in this rhythmic story.

My thoughts:A Warm Winter Tail is another wonderful story that teaches kids how animals stay warm in the winter. It also talks about animals who hibernate, what they eat and where they live to some extent. There are also 4 pages where the little fox asks his mother: "How do humans stay warm in the winter? Do they....."

The pictures are full of exciting scenes, the animals are very lifelike even though they are drawings and you can easily include discussion while reading the book to help with comprehension and encourage kids to look for details and talk about what they are seeing. Click Here for my original review.

It's Time to Exercise Your Imagination!

Today I came across a wonderful website called "The Imagination Tree" and one of her "hobbies" if you can call it that is taking miniature things and turning them into Imagination Activities for her kids. She has created the following scenes: Farm, ConstructionSite, a Park in the Snow, City in a Box and many others! These scenes are a combination of a Scensory type activity and also Pretend Play. Change them out monthly or even every other week and store them in a Rubbermaid Box or empty out the box and store the basic tools minus the snow, sand, dirt, rice or oatmeal which you can reuse depending on the activity box you are making up. (I keep 5 different rubbermaid boxes with the filler and then change out the toys and other things added to make up a theme.) Click here for details on the Arctic Box!

Expand your imagination station with a tail that you can sew out of either fur, felt, yarn (use YOUR imagination) or you can purchase this pattern for $6. The pattern includes directions for a wolf and a fox. I haven't tried the pattern but I find most of the patterns available from bloggers tend to be very well thought out and easy to do. Click here for the pattern.

Here is another pattern made using a sweatsuit which will keep it inexpensive and easy. Even if you just make the head and the tail I'm sure the kids will LOVE their new Fox Costume. =D click here

I purchased the following animal sets for the kids to play with and reinact the story of the Mitten and also A Warm Winter Tail.

The Arctic TOOB® contains twelve toys, including furry mammals like the
Arctic Fox, Polar Bear, and Reindeer. Arctic swimmers like the Beluga
Whale and Orca are also featured, along with a Native Arctic Hunter and
an Igloo. Click Here

I also purchased a couple of "trees" from the Christmas Miniature section at Walmart and added those to my Arctic Box.

Monday, December 10, 2012

For the next couple of weeks I'm going to focus on books that are all about Christmas. There's Christmas Trees, The Nativity, Snowmen, Gifts, and of course: Santa!

Have you ever wondered about some of the American traditions that have found their way into every American families homes? Most homes have Christmas Trees and decorate them with all kinds of decorations. There are the fancy trees with their white lights and silver ornaments and there are the trees filled with homemade ornaments made by our kids and even family heirlooms.From the Christmas Tree Farm Network:Legend has it that Martin Luther began the tradition of decorating
trees to celebrate Christmas. One crisp Christmas Eve, about
the year 1500, he was walking through snow-covered woods and
was struck by the beauty of a group of small evergreens. Their
branches, dusted with snow, shimmered in the moonlight. When
he got home, he set up a little fir tree indoors so he could
share this story with his children. He decorated it with candles,
which he lighted in honor of Christ's birth. (click the link above for more history details)

Henry and his out-of-work father have
just finished a long day selling Christmas trees in Midtown Manhattan.
Before heading home, they give away the last few trees to construction
workers, who decorate the tallest one—the first Rockefeller Center tree!
On Christmas morning, Henry awakes to a surprise. The workers have
gathered outside his family’s drafty shack with enough lumber to build a
simple, decent home. The gift of a hammer from one of the carpenters
changes Henry’s life.

With renewed hope for the future, young Henry
plants a pinecone he has saved from the Rockefeller Center tree. Over
his lifetime, the pinecone grows into a towering spruce. But the circle
of giving is not yet complete....

My thoughts:

Wow! What a story of the kindness of others when they find out someone is struggling. In The Carpenter's Gift we learn of a family during the Depression Era who are poor. There is no money for coal to keep warm and very little for food to fill hungry bellies. One day Henry and his father go into New York to sell Christmas Trees and when they have sold enough they give their left over trees to the workers who let them set up a Tree Lot on their land. Henry & his Father stay to help them decorate the trees and they all get to know each other. As they are visiting the workers find out how Henry's home is a shack. It's cold and drafty and times are tough. The next morning those workers turn up at Henry's home with trucks and supplies and spend the next week building them a new home. (Can you imagine?)

The Carpenter's Gift is a wonderful story of kindness, love, giving, and how when the going gets tough people (even strangers) draw together and help each other out. Another thing I really liked about the book (other than the AMAZING illustrations) is how Henry's family cares for each other, accepts their lack of material goods and when things are tight they find ways of bringing in money and still help others. In turn, they receive a blessing none of them were expecting.

This book should be on every families bookshelf - it would make a wonderful Christmas gift or Hostess Gift for any family.

Oh Christmas Tree.... (a craft)

Sierra and I saw this fun craft at Barnes & Noble today. I snapped a picture and we are planning on making it this week. Paint your child's hand green and place it flat on a paper (these were precut papers) and when the handprint is dry let the kids "decorate" them. They painted "dots" on the hands for ornaments - I think we are going to use sequins glued on for our ornaments. You could also have the kids paint 2 trees - one with each hand. Decorate it, cut around it and then staple both hands wrong sides together - stuff and hang them on the Christmas tree. =D Here is the poem hung with the hands:

I recently found out that Sesame Street is coming to Omaha January 3-6th (Oh, I'm sure they've been here LOTS of times just not while I had kids) and the theme this year is "Can't Stop Singing" - I thought that was wonderful! One of the little guys I babysit is 5 and he loves to make up songs and just be silly and this show is right up his alley!

What's it about? When Elmo gets his furry fingers
on Abby Cadabby’s magic wand, there’s something in the air - and
Sesame Street becomes a nonstop, all-singing, all-dancing musical montage!
Grover and Baby Bear sing their highs and lows, Cookie Monster sings
fast and slow, Bert and Ernie converse in song and Murray makes mouth
music for all to sing along! Learn why it feels good to sing a song,
but why it feels good to stop, too! What will Elmo learn about the power
of musical magic? Join the conga line of fun to find out!

There's more:Kids get to Come and Play BEFORE the Show! VEE Corporation introduces thePlay Zone at Sesame Street Live - a fun new way
for children to experience their favorite street! Imagine your child
sitting in Big Bird's nest, popping up in Oscar's trash can, twirling
in Zoe's dance studio or visiting Elmo's World. You never know who'll
make an appearance! Families won't want to miss a single picture-perfect
moment. Play Zone opens one hour before the show - best of all, Play Zone is FREE with
your Sesame Street Live ticket!

Get your tickets in time for Christmas - these are an awesome Stocking Stuffer Idea - definitely Santa Approved! Details:

Seven (7)delightful performances! Tickets on-sale now at the box office and all Ticketmaster locations.

Click here to find out when a Sesame Street Live will be near you: ClickActivity Sheets - My contact @ Sesame Street Livesent me some Activity Sheets to share with my bloggy friends. There are 5 sheets and they are for all ages from 2 to probably 8'ish. Everything from color sheets to puzzles. You can download all or some of the activity sheets - you pick:

Hopefully that worked!

Disclaimer: this isn't really a review or a giveaway but to cover myself I'll add that I was not required to post a positive review and no money exchanged hands when I was asked to share this info.

Friday, December 7, 2012

Preschool.... Delivered:Make
preschool learning fun and easy with Emmy-nominated host Rachel Coleman
and her TreeSchooler friends! Based on a comprehensive curriculum,
TreeSchoolers videos engage children in learning through music, movement
and fun! Charming characters like Abacus Finch, Isaac Newt, Chroma
Chameleon and others will help your child learn important preschool
concepts and character-building values.

My thoughts:

I was excited to share this video with my 3 and 5 year olds when I read that there was a NEW program coming out that combines Preschool Concepts with signing. I love that the age range is wide (I'd say 2 to 6'ish) and that the music in the video is so catchy and my kids loved to dance to it. Now normally dancing isn't allowed at rest time (which is movie time for us) but Connor loves to dance to the music and I can actually catch him singing the songs and Sierra will actually follow his lead. And in my book this is action packed learning at it's best!

The Rainy Day DVD covers themes like weather (which with winter and spring coming is perfect timing for my little guys). They learned about rain and thunder and were able to talk about what they remembered via the easy to learn songs. There was also a FREE printable activity book included with the DVD - This PDF guide
includes a full set of printable resources, including a My Rainy Day
book template, character cards, word cards, song lyrics and fun
certificate. Get the Activity Guide now.

Awesome stuff Rachel! We'll be definitely looking to get the next DVD when it comes out - it's a perfect fit for our Preschool DVD's and the learning quality of this series is right up there with Sesame Street and Veggietales! Thanks so much!

I received the Rainy Day DVD to watch with my kids and review on CCB. I was not required to write a positive review and no money exchanged hands. Thanks!I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

The First ChristmasRetold by Janice D GreenIllustrated by Violet VandorISBN: 9780983680826$ 9.95 (paperback)

About the book:(from Amazon) The First Christmas, by Janice Green and illustrated by Violet Vandor,
tells the account of the birth of Jesus Christ. Adults and children
alike will enjoy snuggling up to share these thirteen colorful scenes
and the engaging discussion questions as this timeless story unfolds.
Even older readers may be surprised to learn something new as they read
again of the Messiah's birth.

My thoughts: The First Christmas is more than just the story of Jesus' birth. You will find the whole Nativity story. It includes the story of Zachariah and Elizabeth (John the Baptist's parents & his birth), the story of the Angel telling Mary about her being chosen to be Jesus' mother, Joseph's Dream and visit from the Angel telling him to marry Mary all the way through the birth of Jesus, their trip to Bethlehem, the shepherds and the Wise Men.I loved that each mini story takes place on 2-4 pages, the pictures are full page, eye catching and very detailed. Another detail that I loved is that there is a short discussion section with each story and you can use these for morning devotions, bedtime talks, children's church, and more. You'll find questions like: "Have you ever been chosen to do a special job? How did it make you feel?" and "Were you ever scolded when you hadn't done anything wrong? How did you feel? How do you think Mary felt when people looked at her and whispered to each other?" The questions are thought provoking and designed to help the children understand what is happening in the story, the feelings and customs of the characters in each story. This little book is ideal for kids 3+. I think it would be a great addition to your advent activities (read a story each day - you'll have enough for 13 days).

Extensions: You can also do the First Christmas Bible Quilt activity mentioned in the back of the book. You can download the pictures ($1.50 for the booklet) for coloring @ www.biblequilts.com, trace them onto quilt squares and let the kids color them (or alternatively you could trace them and embroider them for a family heirloom item. There are instructions for a tablecloth, table runner, placemats, a tree skirt, quilt top and wall hanging in 2 sizes (I think these may be on the spoonflower link below). Depending on the ages of the children you may want to use them as color pictures for fun - older children who color nicely should be interested in the quilt projects. =D Alternatively, you can also purchase the printed fabric for your quilt projects @ www.spoonflower.com/profiles/janicedgreen . You can purchase The First Christmas on Amazon (click here) and you get the other book in this series The Creation which is a hardback book of the Creation story. Watch for my coming review on this book. Thanks!I received a copy of The First Christmas to read and review on CCB. I was not required to have a positive review and no money exchanged hands. Thanks Janice!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

About the book:"When I think about that magical season 20 years ago it was events that happened off the ice that meant more to me than what happened on the ice. It all started in the winter of 1984..."

Told in flashback, "Hockey Player for Life" is the story of 13 year old Tom Leonard, his AA hockey team and hometown's "can't-miss kid". When Tom doesn't make it in the big league in Canada, he learns valuable lessons from his friends and family and from simply playing the great game of hockey.

My Thoughts:

I'll be the first to admit I know next to nothing about hockey. In fact, the one time I and a friend of mine went to a hockey game we decided to leave early just so we could avoid the mass rush of cars leaving - turns out it was the end of the game! So much for beating all the other drivers out of the parking lot....

I wasn't really excited about reading Hockey Player for Life but ended up thoroughly enjoying it. Still don't know a lot about Hockey - but I really liked the moral value in this book (perseverance, honesty, sportsmanship, respect for elders and other team players) and the way it was written.

Written in first person, Tom tells the story of his most memorable season of Hockey. He has the choice of accepting an invitation to join a big league (read that very successful and hard hitting) in Canada where he is no longer the "can't miss" kid who can do no wrong. He learns how to become a team player, how to support his team and still stand up for what he believes in and who his true friends are. I loved the close relationship between Tom and his father which seemed to be founded on respect between both of them. His father supports his decisions, doesn't talk down to him and respected his thoughts and discussed matters with Tom almost as a mini-adult. Now, the coach of his hometown Hockey league - I did not like him and loved that he (the coach) learned a powerful lesson by the end of the book.

I would say this book is for most sports minded boys 11+. The text like I said is in first person so it's a little more difficult to read, no pictures so they are going to need to be able to focus and take their cues from the text & their imagination and I loved that there was no language in this book. I'm intending to pass this book on to my 9 1/2 year old nephew (he reads at a high school level) who loves sports. I think he will love it.

Hockey Days is a picture book for younger children about Tom, his father and the close relationship with Tom's grandfather who passed away recently - It's also about a memory that Tom & his father share of his grandfather and a orange hat all three have received & wear in their hockey games. The text in this book is a bit more simple, the pictures are big and expand the story for younger readers and help kids connect with the memories Tom and his father have of his grandfather and the game of hockey. $13.95, paperback, 24 pages - currently out of stock on Amazon (I'm sure Mr Shapiro can help you get a copy on his website)

Stereotypical Freaks (I have not read this one). Four disparate high school seniors come together to compete in their school's battle of the bands. Sharing a love for playing rock and roll, the members name the band "The Stereotypical Freaks" because they feel stereotyped by their classmates - smart kid, geek, star athlete and quiet weirdo… when in fact they know they are much more than those labels that have been placed on them. When one member reveals life altering news, winning the competition takes on more of a meaning to each member. Scared and angry, upset and yet still with a lot of resolve they set out to win one for the good guys… will they? $11.95, paperback (kindle available for $4.99), 140 pages

About the author:

HOWARD SHAPIRO lives in Pittsburgh, PA with his wife and two sons. The Controller for the Pittsburgh-based graphic design firm, BD&E Inc., he has also written three children's books. The fourth, Hockey Player For Life, will be published in October, 2008. His first three books (Hanukkah Counts Too!, Destructo Boy & Spillerella...We Are Who We Are! and Hockey Days), combined, have sold over 3,500 copies to date.

He has received positive reviews in The Jewish Monthly Magazine, The Canadian Jewish News, Pittsburgh Magazine and the Hockey News. His book, Hockey Days, was the only book featured in the December 2007 Sporting News Annual Gift Guide as a Best Buy Gift for Children. He has been published in the National Business Employment Weekly and his short story, Waterfall (White Knuckle Happy), was featured in the Literary Fragments Espresso Cafe, A Short Story Collection.

For more information, please log on to howardshapiro(dot)net

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of Hockey Play for Life & Hockey Days to read and review on CCB. I was not required to write a positive review and no money exchanged hands.